California Man Pleads Guilty to Running Fraudulent Competing PACs, Stealing $3.5 Million

California Man Pleads Guilty to Running Fraudulent Competing PACs, Stealing $3.5 Million
The Department of Justice building in Washington on Feb. 9, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Jason Blair
8/11/2022
Updated:
8/11/2022
0:00
A California man pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to conspiracy to solicit millions of dollars by running two fraudulent political action committees (PACs), according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Robert Reyes Jr., along with others, ran the Liberty Action Group PAC and the Progressive Priorities PAC. The former supported former president Donald Trump, and the latter, Hillary Clinton, during the 2016 election cycle.

The PACs solicited contributions by using robocalls along with internet, television, and radio advertisements stating that the money would be used to support the particular presidential nominee they presented.

Instead, the money was pocketed by Reyes and the other co-conspirators as well as used to fund additional fraudulent solicitation schemes.

Reyes confessed that the two super PACs raised approximately $3.5 million from 2016 to at least April 2017, from which he received $714,000. The total amount that was actually donated to political causes was $19.

Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to cause false statements to the Federal Election Commission. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.